The authorities in west Pennslyvania have sentenced nurse Heather Presdee to life imprisonment for the murder of three and the attempted murder of 19 patients across four counties in the state.
On Thursday, 41-year-old Pressdee pleaded guilty to administering lethal doses of insulin to 22 patients at various skilled nursing facilities across Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, and Westmoreland counties.
Despite pleading guilty to just three actual murders, Pressdee has been linked to the deaths of 17 people ranging from the age of 43 to 99. The deaths took place at five facilities from 2020 to 2023.
Pressdee reportedly injected the insulin while working on a medication cart during low-staffed hours on the night shift. She would ensure her victims died before a shift change so they wouldn’t be sent to a hospital where her crime would have been discovered.
Pressdee avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty and showing remorse. However, she was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the three murders and a further 380 to 760 years for the 19 attempted murders.
Victims’ families vented anger at killer nurse Heather Pressdee
The killer’s case was heard in a Butler County court, and many of the victims’ families had the opportunity to give victim impact statements this week. The families expressed their anger, calling Pressdee the “devil” and a “soulless shell of a human.”
Melinda Brown lamented the death of her 43-year-old brother, Nick Cymbol. Brown said she now regretted asking her brother to apologize to Pressdee after he called her bad names; Brown said, “Heather, now I know Nick was right about you.”
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelOther family members spoke of feeling guilty about leaving their loved ones at the mercy of someone who was supposed to care for them.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry posted to social media a collage of some of Pressdee’s victims.
Henry wrote, “This plea and life sentence will not bring back the lives lost, but it will ensure Heather Pressdee never has another opportunity to inflict further harm. I offer my sincere sympathy to all who have suffered at this defendant’s hands.”
Killer nurse Heather Pressdee apologized for the murders
Heather Pressdee has shown remorse for her actions. She openly wept during some of the impact statements. When one victim asked Pressdee to look at her, she refused.
Pressdee told the court, “I’m very sorry for what I’ve done. I impacted a lot of people’s lives, including my parents. I’m very, very sorry for what I’ve done.”